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Maybe Something Beautiful | April 21, 2017

by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2016)

“In the heart of a gray city, there lived a girl who loved to doodle, draw, color, and paint.” Recommended by a colleague as a potential Caldecott contender, Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell is definitely something beautiful, from its message to its vibrant colors. Although young Mira thinks her city is gray and dark, she still tries to brighten it up with drawings—of an apple, a flower, a bird, and a heart—which she gives to her neighbors as well as a drawing of a sun, which she hangs on a gray wall hidden in the shadows.

“Her city was less gray—but not much.” The next day Mira sees an artist with paintbrushes in his pockets looking at her sun painting. Soon enough, together they paint the walls of the city and many of the city’s residents join in. Maybe Something Beautiful celebrates art, diversity, and the power of a vision. Readers of all ages will appreciate the message that illustrator and the inspiration for the character of the muralist Rafael López brings to life through his unforgettably colorful artwork.

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